Linton-Stockton is going to play for a berth in the state championship game. Girls’ basketball is under way. South boys’ basketball is ranked 19th in the country, and I’ll see the Panthers and North Cougars at 6:30 tonight in a scrimmage at North.

Any notion that the South boys’ basketball team would be underrated in the 2008-09 season is now certainly folly.
USA Today ranked the Panthers 19th overall in the country in its preseason Super 25 rankings.
South is the only team in the state in the top 25 and No. 3 in the midwest, behind Detroit Country Day and Chicago Whitney Young.
Lawrence North, which features four players already committed to perennial top-25 schools, was not ranked.
The Panthersâ€™ lofty preseason ranking is in large part due to Jordan Hulls, the senior point guard who signed with Indiana last week.
USA Today also noted sophomore guards Spencer Turner and Dee Davis, both of whom will likely have their picks of colleges to attend.
Add that in with center Chaz Cooper and forward Erik Fromm, who has emerged as a Division I player, and the Panthers are loaded.
The Panthers will play Detroit Country Day on Feb. 21 in Bloomington.

The state championships are next week, so we are all focused on football (and the Linton-Stockton Miners’ run to at least semistate). But remember the South Panthers of 1998? They won the state championship. Had a kid by the name of Rex Grossman at quarterback.

No one has written as much about Grossman as longtime South writer Rex Kirts. Here is Kirts’ column from that 1998 state championship game, when Grossman threw five touchdowns. Story is after the jump

In addition to North’s big win over Terre Haute North, other girls’ basketball action included a top-10 showdown for for No. 6 South which ended with a tough 56-39 lossÂ at No. 5 Terre Haute South.

South (1-1) was outscored 31-14 in the middle periods and plagued by foul trouble all night (a 23-9 disadvantage). Kaila Hulls had 16 points and Madison Turner had six points and nine rebounds for South before each fouled out. The Panthers shot just 29 percent but outrebounded the Braves, 36-27. Terre Haute (4-0), which shot 48 percent, got 23 points and 12 rebounds from 6-foot-3 center Dragana Grbic .

Elsewhere, Bloomfield could not hang on to an early lead as Edgewood rallied for a thrilling 33-32 with Leah Cage canning the winning jumper with 20 seconds left. Brooke Schutte led Edgewood (2-1) with 17 points while Sierra Fuller had 12 for the Cardinals (1-1).

White River Valley (No. 6 in 1A) had no problems running past West Vigo 74-41, with Kelsey Anderson pouring in 26 points and Steph Fougerousse 25.

Brown County fell 56-50 to Hauser after taking a two-point lead in the fourth quarter and Eastern dropped a 49-42 SWIAC decision to Union (Dugger) after also leading by three in the final period.

I just filed my game story from North’s 61-41 win against Terre Haute North and wanted to throw a few notes in here.

Part of coach Alana Harringtonâ€™s pregame focus was to limit the Patriots outside shooting by pressuring the ball-handler and not allowing easy shots. The Cougars did what she asked, allowing five attempts from 3-point range. Just one went in. â€œWhen you do that, you give yourself an opportunity,â€ Harrington said.

Nice game from Kaity Hoy, with 14 points and seven rebounds. The Cougars are a small team, so the 6-foot Hoy is going to have to work hard on the boards and stay out of foul trouble this season.

Shaw-Nee Winningham had not one, but two, reverse layups. They were fluid, too. Most of the time, a reverse layup in a high school girls’ game is a guard trying to dribble underneath the basket, getting stuck, and throwing up a prayer. Not the case with Winningham.

The only real drama, for me, during the final few minutes was whether or not Terre Haute would have enough girls to finish. Guard Kelly Meggs went down, leaving the team with seven players. Emily Adams fouled out, which made six. Ashley Burkins and Danielle Ketner each had four fouls with two minutes to go. If both had gone out, the Patriots would have had to finish with four.

HALFTIME: North’s up 29-27, though I am not sure why it is this close. The Cougars have forced 11 turnovers (and given it up seven times) and have held Terre Haute North’s main offensive weapon, Kelly Meggs, to four free throws. She separated her shoulder late in the half, as well. Kind of gruesome.

END OF 1ST: The Cougars lead 12-10. Shaw-Nee Willingham has six points, including a sweet reverse layup. Kaity Hoy has four points, and Zibba Huck has two. Pendah Jallow has two rebounds and two assists.

We’re live from the Cougars’ gym and the JVs are finishing up. North wins, 28-26, despite Terre Haute North having the ball with 5.6 seconds left at midcourt. The 3-point attempt (Why not go for the tie?) hit nothing but air.